Kitchen fork with ejector



June 1, 1948. Fa SCHAEFER ETAL KITCHEN FORK WITH EJECTOR- Filed May 8, 1946 uff-EH fiaierz'ck SJme A 1/0 rneys iatented June 1, 1943 KITCHEN FORK WITH EJECTOR Frederick Schaefer and Lloyd R. Watters,

North Plainfield, N. J.

Application May 8, 1946, Serial No. 658,209

2 Claims. 1

This invention appertains to improvements in' a kitchen fork with ejector and more particularly to an implement for lifting and holding hot beets, boiled potates, while being skinned, and also for lifting pickles, olives and various other vegetables.

An important object of the invention is to provide a kitchen implement for lifting various foodstuffs and wherein means is provided for detaching the foodstuffs from the implement when it is desired to drop the same into a bowl or onto a dish.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a, kitchen implement of the character stated which includes tines and a dislodging member for foodstuifs held by the tines, and wherein the tines have shank portions defining a guide for the shank of the dislodging member.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple hand implement for kitchen use in picking up various articles of food which will positively impale an article of food, as while the same is in boiling water, and regardless of the softness of the food article.

Still a, further object of the invention is to provide an implement of the character stated which is of simple construction and capable of being manufactured at low cost;

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to the reader of the following description.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the im plement.

3 Figure 2 1s a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the implement, looking toward the tines.

Figure 4 is a cross-section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view through the outer portion of the guide tube and showing portions of the tines and expelling member.

Figure 6 is a section taken substantially on line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing, numeral 5 denotes an elongated handle which may be of wood, plastic or any other desirable material, one end of which has a longitudinally extending bore 6 formed therein to receive the inner end portion of an elongated guide tube 1, preferably of metal.

A plurality of tines 8 are provided with oblique inner portions 9, merging with elongated rods or shanks Illdisposed longitudinally in the guide tube 1. V 1

There is also a center prong l I, somewhat longer than the other prong 8 and this has a waved or undulated portion l2 to cause a more positive engagement of the particular tines, with the assistance of the other tines, in hot and soft foodstuifs. The tine H extends from an elongated rod or shank [3 which extends longitudinally in the guide tube 1. A pusher frame or head I4 surrounds the long tine fl and has an oblique portion I5 extending to connect to a rod or shank 16, which extends longitudinally in the tube 1.

As is apparent, in Figure 4, the shanks I0 and 13 are arranged, and preferably welded in place so as to afiord a guide slot or guide-way from the shank 16, which as shown in Figure 2 has a laterally disposed inner end portion 11 projecting through registering slots 18 and 19 in the tube 1 and handle 5 respectively. The outwardly disposed portion of the shank l6 has a. push knob 20, whereby the portion 11 can be slid longitudinally of the slots l8, [9, as when the head I4 is being pushed along the tine II to discharge an article therefrom;

The outer end of the tube I! may be reinforced by a, spot welded or otherwise secured collar 2|.

It can now be seen, that in the use of the implement, the knob 20 will be first disposed in the retracted position shown in Figure 2. The tines can now be pushed into a boiled potato or boiled beet and the article lifted, due to the undulated formation of the tine H, the food article will not easily drop off the tine, but by pushing the button 20 in a forward direction, the pusher head 14 will move the food article outwardly on the tines 8, 9, so that the article will drop 01f onto a plate or other receptacle.

The device can be built with a streamlined appearance, with the tines rather close together and substantially long, and with the handle 5 having its end portions rounded ofi, as substantially shown in Figure 1. The utensil can be made even more attractive by having the handle 5 and tube 1 of different colors, with the handle permember, a plurality of titles projecting frdiri one end of the tubular member, a center tine projecting from the same end of the tubular member, a pusher element surrounding the center tine and provided with an enlongated shank extending longitudinally in the tubular member, said tubular member having a slot therein, said shank having a lateral portion-projecting threugh thelsmt and adapted to 'be pushed longitudinally of the :slot when the pusher element is used to dislodge food from the tines, said first mentioned tines being provided with elongated shanks extending-"longitudinally in the tubular member toftir'ni a g'iii'd'e'f way for the shank of the pusherzelemeritfi 2. A kitchen implement comprising a tubular member, a plurality of tines projecting .fromrone end of the tubular member, a center tine" pro:

jecting from the same end of the tubular-imam ber, a. pusher element surrounding the center tin 1 and provided with an'elongatedfzshank ex-' tending longitudinally in the tubular member, said tubular member havingia slot -.'there'in; said shank havingalateral portion proj ec'ting; through 4 the slot and adapted to be pushed longitudinally of the slot when the pusher element is used to dislodge food from the tines, said tines being all provided with shanks extending longitudinally in the tubular member to define a slide-way for the shank of the pusher element.

FREDERICK .SCHAEFER. LLOYD R. WATTERS.

REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the file'of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

